JPS63220276A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten an image forming time by preferentially using a developing device in an image forming device body for image forming operation at the time of selecting this developing device and another developing device in a developing device storage device. CONSTITUTION:If multicolors including black are designated for copying and a black developing device 14 normally provided on the side of an image forming device body A and a red developing device 13A stored in a developing device storage device B are selected, the black developing device 14 is first used for the image forming operation. The red developing device 13A is transported to the side of the device body A in parallel with the use of the black developing device 14, and the image forming operation using the red developing device 13A is started immediately when the image forming operation using the black developing device 14 is terminated. Since the red developing device 13A is transported to the side of the device body A in parallel with the image forming operation using the black developing device 14, the image forming time is shortened by the time required for transportation of the red developing device 13A to the side of the device body A.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer or a copying machine, and particularly to an image forming S' system having a plurality of developing devices inside and outside the main body. Regarding.

(Technical background) In order to meet the demand for colorization of image forming apparatuses such as copying machines using electrostatic transfer process, a developer storage device that stores a plurality of developers is provided outside the main body, and the developer storage device is An image forming apparatus has been proposed in which a developing device containing developer of a desired color is transported to an image forming position within a main body and subjected to development.

Incidentally, in such an image forming apparatus, a black developing device containing a frequently used black developer is permanently installed in the main body. In this case, when multicolor copying is specified in which a black developing device in one main body and a color developing device (developing device containing chromatic developer) in the developing device storage device are selected,
As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7, if the color developing device on the developing device housing side is used for image forming operation with priority over the black developing device on the main body side, the color developing device can be used in the developing device housing device. There is a problem in that the image forming time becomes longer by the time t (see FIG. 7) required for transporting the image forming apparatus to the image forming position within the main body, resulting in poor efficiency.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an image forming apparatus that can shorten image forming time and perform efficient image forming operations.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a plurality of developing devices that are housed in a developing device storage device that is provided outside, in addition to a developing device that is permanently installed in the main body. In an image forming apparatus which is equipped with a developer device and is configured to select a desired developer device from these developer devices for development, when a developer is selected between the developer in the main body and the developer in the developer storage device, It is characterized in that the developing device in the main body is given priority for use in image forming 1 & operation.

(Function) Therefore, when multicolor copying is specified in a copying machine, etc., and the developer in one main body and the developer in the developer storage device are selected, the developer in one main body is selected first. During the image forming operation, the developing device in the developing device storage device can be transferred to the main body side in parallel, and the developing device can be transferred immediately after the image forming operation by the developing device in the main body is completed. The image forming operation by the developing device on the side of the container storage device can be started, and the image forming time can be shortened by the time required to transfer the developing device to the main body side.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described below based on the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section of an image forming apparatus (copying apparatus) according to the present invention, and the image forming apparatus is constructed by attaching a developing device storage device B to a main body A so as to be vertically movable.

First, to explain the main body A of the apparatus, the original 2 placed 1a on the original placing glass 1 is illuminated by a lamp 3.
The light image is transmitted to the photosensitive drum 1 by an optical system consisting of reflection mirrors 4, 5, 6°7, 8.9 and a zoom lens lO.
1 will be led to the top. The lamp 3 and the mirrors 4, 5.6 each move at a predetermined speed in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure to scan the original 2. On the other hand, since the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 is uniformly charged by the primary charger 12 and then rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure, electrostatic latent images corresponding to the original image are sequentially formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. is formed. A color developing device 13C containing color toner (for example, green toner) and a black developing device 14 containing black toner are arranged around the photosensitive drum 11. Each of them is movable in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure, and these move close to the photosensitive drum 11 to visualize the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 11 according to a desired color image. still,
In FIG. 1, the color developer 13C is separated and the black developer 1
4 are close to each other, a black image is formed on the photosensitive drum ll.

Then, this image is transferred by a transfer charger 15 onto a transfer paper 17 as a transfer material. Thereafter, the photosensitive drum 11 reaches a cleaner 16, where residual toner adhering to its surface is removed, and the photosensitive drum 11 moves on to the next copying process again.

Next, to explain the developing device storage device fiB, the inside of the developing device storage device B has partitions 151a, 151b, 1
It is divided into 51c and 151d, and these partitions 1
51a.

On 151b, 151c, and 151d, there are, for example, a red developing device 13A containing red toner, a blue developing device 13B containing blue toner, a green developing device 13G containing green toner, and a brown developing device 13D containing brown toner. Each is installed. In FIG. 1, the green developing device 13C is not located in the developing device storage device B, but is located near the photosensitive drum 11, and is used to visualize the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 11. In the ready state, the green developing device 13c is transported to the image forming position near the photosensitive drum 11 and inside the developing device storage device B as shown by the arrow a in FIG. 1 by the transport means shown in FIGS. and the above-mentioned partition 151c.

Here, the above-mentioned transfer means will be explained based on FIGS. 2 to 4. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 1, and FIG. Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the relationship between Figure 2 and Figure 4.

FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, a developing device loading port 20 is opened on the side surface of the apparatus main body A on the side where the developing device storage device aB is provided. The transport path 21 continuing to the photosensitive drum 11 is formed horizontally. As shown in FIG. 2, guides 22, 22 leading to the photosensitive drums 11 are formed parallel to each other at a predetermined interval in this conveyance path 21, and each partition 151a, 151b of the developing device storage device B , 151c.

151 di', guides 23, 23 similar to those described above are formed in the same direction and at the same interval.

By the way, each developing device 13A, 13B, 13c.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, guide members 24 and 24 are protruded from the bottom of the developing device 13D.
When A, 13B, 13c, and 13D are stored in the developing device storage device B, their left and right positions (
In Fig. 1, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface) is restricted.

Further, rectangular notches 21a, 21a are formed inside the guide 22°22 of the conveyance path 21 in the main body A of the apparatus.
A pressure cam 25 is provided in each notch 21a, and the pressure cam 25 presses the rear part of the developing device 13c transferred from the developing device storage device B onto the conveying path 21, thereby pushing it onto the photosensitive drum. 11 surface with a predetermined force.

By the way, each developing device 13A, 13B, 13C.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, racks 31 and 31 are formed on both sides of the developing device 13D (in the illustrated example, the developing device 13C), and when the developing device 13G is in the developing device storage device ZtB, Both racks 31.31 are engaged with gears 33.33 connected to the output shaft ends of C motors 32, 32, which are capable of forward and reverse rotation, installed in the developing device storage device B, and are connected to the developing device 13c or the device main body A. When it is on the transport path 21 inside the rack 31
Gears 34 and 34 connected to the output shaft end of a DC motor (not shown) installed in the main body A of the apparatus mesh with the gears 34 and 31.

Next, the driving means of the developing device storage device B will be explained based on FIG. That is, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the driving means, and the entire developing device storage apparatus B consists of a pair of rails 200, 200 laid perpendicular to the apparatus main body A side and parallel to each other.
A plurality of (4 in the illustrated example) are provided on this to move up and down along
) of the rails 200, 2 through the rollers 210...
It depicts the inner world of 00 in a freely transferable manner. On the other hand, two pulleys 201a serving as driving means are provided on the device main body A side.

These pulleys 201a
, 201b, a belt 202 is wound around with a predetermined tension, and a developing device storage device B is connected to the belt 202 via an arm 150. The lower pulley 201b is driven by a forward/reverse pulse motor 2 serving as a driving source.
03, and is rotationally driven by the forward/reverse pulse motor 203. Further, a microswitch 204 is provided at the lower part of the main body A side of the apparatus, and the microswitch 204 is connected to the developing device storage device'j! It is activated by abutting a part of the developing device storage device B when the developing device in iB is positioned at the color developing device inlet.

Thus, developing devices 13A, 13B, and 13C.

When, for example, the developing device 13C is selected from the developing device storage device B loaded and housed with the developing device 13D and the developing device 13C is used for development, the driving means shown in FIG.
When the desired developing device 13G is located at the developing device loading port 20 which opens in the main body A of the apparatus, the vertical driving of the developing device storage unit BIB is stopped, and the developing device 13G is moved up and down as shown in FIG. The container 13c stops at the developing device entrance 20.

After that, the DC motors 32, 32 are driven to drive the gear 33.3.
3 in the direction of the arrow in FIG.
The guide members 24 and 24 protruding from the lower surface of the developing device 13c move in one direction, and eventually the guide members 24 and 24 on the side of the apparatus main body A
2, and the rack 31.31 of the developing device 13C starts to mesh with the gears 34 and 34 provided on the apparatus main body A side. Then, the developing device 13c is ejected from the developing device storage device B, and the gear 33.3 of the j2-digit rack 31.31 is ejected from the developing device storage device B.
When the meshing with 3 is released, a DC motor (not shown) provided on the apparatus main body A side is driven to rotate the gears 34 and 34 in the arrow directions shown in the figure, and the developing device 13c is moved to the guide 22 and 22. When this is detected by a sensor (not shown), the drive of the DC motor that drives the gears 34 and 34 is stopped. At this time.

The pressure cam 25 is retracted to the position shown by the broken line in the drawing of tjr13, and when the developing device 13G is moved to the position shown by the solid line in the drawing, the pressure cam 25 rotates as shown by the chain line. and press the rear part of the developing device 13C to release the developing device 13C.
The developing sleeve is pressed against the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 with a predetermined force. The developing device 13C visualizes the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 rotating in the direction of the arrow in the figure.

The developing device 13c thus subjected to development is transferred to the developing device storage device B side in the reverse procedure to the above, and the developing device 13c is transferred to the developing device storage device B side.
will be stored in. Then, if you repeat the same operation from now on,
A multicolor image is formed in the desired colors.

By the way, in this copying apparatus, when multicolor copying including black is specified and the black developing device 14 permanently installed on the main body A side and the red developing device 13A stored in the developing device storage device B are selected. , as shown in the flowchart of FIG.
4 is subjected to image forming operation first, and during that time red developing device 1 is
3A to the main body A side in parallel, the black developing device 1
Immediately after the image forming operation in step 4 is completed, the red developing device 13A is turned on.
The image forming operation is started based on the image forming operation. In this way, since the red developing device 13A is transferred to the main body A side in parallel with the image forming operation by the black developing device 14, the time required for transferring the red developing device 13A to the main body A side is reduced. By shortening the image forming time, it becomes possible to perform efficient image forming.

Although the above embodiments have been limited to copying apparatuses, the present invention is also applicable to other image forming apparatuses such as laser printers.

(Effects of the Invention) As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, in addition to a developing device permanently installed in one main body, a plurality of developing devices are provided, which are housed in a developing device storage device provided outside the main body. In an image forming apparatus in which a desired developing device is selected from among these developing devices for development, when a developing device inside the main body and a developing device inside the developing device storage device are selected, one of the developing devices inside the main body is selected. Since the developing device is given priority to be used for the image forming R& operation, the developing device in the developing device storage device can be transferred to the main body side during the image forming operation by the developing device in the main body. The effect is that the image forming time can be shortened by the time required for transportation.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the copying machine, and Figure 2 is from ■ to ■ in Figure 1.
3 is a partial sectional view showing the relationship between the developing device storage device and the photosensitive drum, FIG. 4 is a view taken in the direction of arrow X in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a drive means of the developing device storage device. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the conventional bag δ. A: Apparatus main body, B: Developing device storage device, 13A. 13B, 13c, 130.14...Developer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In addition to the developing device permanently installed inside the main body, there are a plurality of developing devices stored in a developing device storage device provided outside the main body, and a desired developing device is selected from these developing devices and used for development. The image forming apparatus is characterized in that when a developing device in the main body and a developing device in the developing device storage device are selected, the developing device in the main body is given priority for use in the image forming operation. image forming apparatus.